Hi, Chris Smolinski <csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com> asked for some help translating a passage from Ignacy Kapica Milewski's armorial dealing with the house of the Truskolaskis of Slepowron arms. I can't promise I've got it all right, but I can take a quick stab at it. > 1754, in Actis castr. Brancensibus. Antonius > filius olim Josephi Perkowski de > Kapice haeres, Catharinae filiae olim Mathiae > Kapica primi olim Alberti Truskolaski, > secundi ad praesens voti consorti suae, summam a > Gregorio, Paulo et Stanislao > filiis Valentini Truskolaski, fratribus prioris > mariti steriliter vita > functi levatam inscribit. [This is a Latin text from the records of the Bransk _castrum_, a Latin term usually equating to _grod_ in Polish. The Latin word means basically "a military camp," but in this context referrs to the legal records of a court connected with the grod or military fortification or citadel at Bransk. These "grods" were the sort of military outposts around which medieval towns often developed. Legal and administrative institutions often got started there as well. Later on, even after the region was comparatively peaceful and there was no compelling need for a military encampment, those legal and administrative facilities continued to function. So I'll translate _in Actis. cast. Brancensibus_ as "in the records of the Bransk grod," but obviously that phrase needs a bit of clarification.] 1754, in the records of the Bransk grod. Antoni, son of the late Jozef Perkowski, lord of Kapice, bequeaths to his consort, Katarzyna -- daughter of the late Maciej Kapica, first married to the late Wojciech Truskolaski and secondly to her current mate -- a sum taken from Grzegorz, Pawel and Stanislaw, sons of Walenty Truskolaski, brothers of her previous husband, who had no children. [Then there is a commentary in Polish: "This Katarzyna, daughter of Maciej Kapica, was the sister of Aleksander, Felicyan, and Jozef Kapica, as a doccument with the same date proves, and these Kapicas belong to the house of the Tuczyks.] > 1792, w aktach ziemiaYskich tykociYskich. Józef > Truskolaski instygator sàdu > ziemiaYskiego ziemi bielskiéj, Stanis½awa i > Marcyanny Grabowskiej, niegdy > Franciszka Grabowskiego córki, Ma½>onków > Truskolaskich syn, niegdy Wojciecha i > Marcyanny Frankowskiej ma½zonków Truskolaskich > wnuk, na Makowie i Frankowskiej > Dàbrowie dziedzic, Teresie Makowskiej po > Mojciechu Makowskim z Marcyannà > Grabowskà teraz >yjàcà sp½odzonéj córce, a >onie > swojéj summ´ zapisuje. 1782, in the records of Tykocin district, Jozef Truskolaski, prosecutor of the Bielsk district court -- son of the married couple the Truskolaskis, Stanislaw and Marcyanna nee Grabowska, daughter of the late Franciszek Grabowski, and grandson of the married couple the Trusoklaskis, the late Wojciech and Marcyanna nee Frankowska -- lord of Makow and Frankowska Dabrowa, inscribes a sum to his wife, Teresa nee Makowska, daughter of Mojciech Makowski by Marcyanna Grabowska, who is still living. [Then there is a note in Polish: "This Jozef Truskolaski is from the house of the Ciszyk Trusoklaskis; his wife, Teresa Makowska, comes from the house of the Jelita Makowskis, and the aforementioned Jozef Truskolaski." I don't quite see how that last phrase fits in with what's said before.] I think I got most of it right. If not, I'm sure I'll hear about it ;-) Fred Hoffman

A big thank you to Fred for taking the time to perform the translation, and to Roman for his comments. As always, an answer leads to more questions! When Jozef Truskolaski is described as being from the house of the Ciszyk Truskolaskis, and Teresa Makowska from the house of the Jelita Makowskis, does that indicate a particular clan of people of that surname, or does it pertain to a region? I started to read your translation of Wlodzimierz Dworzaczek's _Genealogia_ that you mentioned in your followup email, and that got me to thinking about what other resources I should start to consider investigating, especially in the case of Jozef Truskolaski, who seems to have been of high enough rank that he may have left a paper trail (or so I can hope!). In particular I would be interested in what the FHL has microfilmed that would be worth researching. I've also begun looking through some of the books online at the Wielkopolska digital library. -- --- Chris Smolinski Black Cat Systems http://www.blackcatsystems.com